Device for maintaining instrument-strings under tension.



MAN.

NT STRINGS UNDER TENSION.

G- T. BACH DEVICE FOR MAINTAINING INSTRUME APPLICATION FlLED A 1,298,862.

Wz'iu ass es WW G. T. BACHMAN.

DEVICE FOR MAINTAINING INSTRUMENT STRINGS UNDER TENSION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.?O= I9I8.

1,298,862. Patented Apr. 1,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I I l A5" A? /4 avwewtoz GEORGE T. BACKMAN, OF JOHNSON CITY, TEN E'ESSEE.

DEVTCE FOR ING INSTRUMENT-STRINGS UNDER TENS [011.

Specification 01' Letters Patent. Patented Apr. 1, 1919,

Application filed August 20, 1918. Serial No. 250,700.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, Gnoncn T. BAcHMAN,

v a citizen of the'United States, residing at Johnson City, in the county of Washington and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Maintaining Instrument-Strings Under Tension, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to improvements in musical instruments and'more particularly to a device for maintaining the'strings of a stringed instrument under the proper ten- The primary object of the present invention is to provide a device for so connecting the strings of a piano or the like as to cause the strings to be maintained under the proper tension at all times and to so connect a string under a certain tension with one under a normally lesser tension as to maintain both of the strings under proper rela' tive tension. V

A further object of this invention is the provision of a device for maintaining instrument strings under tension which consistsof comparatively few arts and is simple in construction, but dura' 1e and well adapted to withstand the rough usage to which devices of this character are ordinarily subjected. i

For a full description of the invention and the advantages and merits thereof, reference is to be had to the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein is illustrated the preferred form of my invention, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fragmentary portion of the back panel of a piano showing a plurality of string retaining pins mounted in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken -substantlally on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of two of the con-- nected pins.

Fig. 4 is a detail elevation pins.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4 and Fig. 7 is a detail of a portion of the invention.

Referring to the drawing, wherein is illus trated the preferred form of my invention, and in which like numerals of reference inof one of the dicate corresponding parts throughout the 1 several views the back panel 1 of the piano has a plurality of pins 2 mounted therein in'the usual manner. Each pin consists of receive one end of the instrument string and the latter is wound upon the shank of the pin so that as the shank is turned the string 5 may be placed under tension to obtain the proper tone. The outer end of the pin is squared as indicated at 7 to receive a wrench or other implement forpermitting the pin to be readily turned. j

Each pin, has fixed. thereto near the squared end thereof, a disk 8 which may, or may not be integrally formed. with the pin it being merely necessary to have the disk so rigidly fixed as to cause it to turn-when the pin is turned. This disk is provided with circumferentially spaced notches 9 which extend radially and open at opposite sides of the disk. Communicating with each notch or recess 9 is a groove 10 which extends tangentially from the bottom of the recess 9 to the periphery of the disk'com- 'municating with the latter at points aptermediate connecting portions 13 thereby providing the central open space 14. The .center of each sleeve portion is provided with a screw threaded opening through which the connecting rods 15 are passed. Each connecting rod 15 comprises a screw threaded shank 16 adapted to be extended through the screw threaded opening in the correspondlng sleeve 12, the opposite end of the shank being curved to provide the arcuate end 17 terminating in a head 18. Two of the adjacent pins are connected by one of these tie members or couplers by placing the heads 18 in the recesses 9 and permitting the shaft portion to extend through the groove 10 as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. The turn buckle may be actuated in the usual manner to tighten the rods 15,

the screwthreaded connecting portions being oppositel threaded in a manner common to turn uckles. v It 1s pointed out that the pin to which on I end of each coupling member is connected should have a string attached thereto which is of a tension diflerent from the string attached to the pin to which the op-' posite end of the coupling is fixed. Thus the pins having the strings of a higher tension tend to maintain the strings of a lesser tension under their proper relative tension and where the strings of the highest tension are to be held, dummy ins having no instrument. wires attache thereto, will be mounted at convenient points on the panel 1 to receive the ends of the coupling member. As shown in Fig. 7, the inner ends of the rods 16 may be bent outwardly as shown by dotted lines to lock the rod in the desired position.

From the fore oing it .will .be observed that a very simp e and durable device for maintaining instrument strings under tension has been provided the details of which embodythe referred form. I desire it to be understoo however, that slight changes in the minor details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination wlth the pins in a stringed instrument, each pin having a string attached thereto, coupling members extending between two pins and comprising turn buckles to tension the said cou- 1,ees,sea

pling members, and means mounted on each 'pm to receive the ends of the coupling 2. An instrument attachment comprising string receiving pins, each having a disk fixed thereto and provided with radial notches, a coupling member comprising a 7 turn buckle, rods connected to the ends of the turn buckle and provided with heads at their terminals to be received in the said notches.

3. An instrument attachment for stringed instruments comprising pins adapted to re ceive the strings, each pin having a disk mounted thereon, the said disk being provided with radial notches and tangentially extending recesses, communicating with the said notches, a coupling member for two of the said disks, each coupling member including arcuate connecting rods "adapted to be received in the said tangentially disposed recesses, and heads formed at the terminals of the said rods to be received in the said radial notches.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHAs. T. MANDEL, E. L. WHITE. 

